My Living Diary
by Arctic Husky
Summary: Sheelos, threechapter fic Ten years have passed since the journey of reunification, and Sheena, the new chief of Mizuho, has decided to move the village again. While looking through her things, she comes across an old diary. What memories does it hold?
1. Chapter I

Eh... this is just a random idea that I got in my head, so I decided to write it down. (That's one crazy story, eh?) Actually, there is more of a story; see, while I was helping to clean out my grandmother's basement, I came across this box that was nailed shut. After a lot of effort, I got it open! And, well... there was shoe polish in it... but that's not the point! I just thought of this story, okay? Okay. It was originally meant to be a one-shot, but it ended up being kinda long, so I split it up into three chapters. And just to be teasing, I'm spacing out the posts! HA!

The Scene: Ten years after the union of the two worlds, the village of Mizuho – under the leadership of their new chief, Sheena – is returning to Tethe'alla. While gathering together all of her belongings, Sheena is reminded of the good and bad times during the journey. But will the bad memories leave more weight on Sheena's shoulders than she would have expected? Will she seek out a way to correct her past wrongs?

Disclaimer: Guess what! I don't own Tales of Symphonia! GASP!

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/...My Living Diary.../

Sheena stood outside of her home, keeping a close eye on all of the moving activities taking place in the village; _her_ village. It was quite literally owned by her now that she had become chief. Though she was named successor ten years ago, it was only at this time when Sheena was officially named chief—when her grandfather passed away. The loss of Igaguri had a great affect on everyone in the village, but it was Sheena – the one closest to him – that had to remain strong and keep things in order. Within days of her grandfather's death, Sheena made the huge decision to move Mizuho out of Sylvarant, and return it to its roots of Tethe'alla; with a loss comes a change.

Sheena herself desired to be helping everyone else in the village with the move, but they would not allow it. All of her Mizuho companions had insisted that she remain in her own home, believing that she needed time to get by the death of Igaguri. But she had already passed the stage of grievance; that was simply Sheena's way. She did not break down into tears and she did not search for the condolence of others. Heaving a sigh, Sheena turned back towards her home and entered it to find several villagers – including her good friend Orochi – packing up her things. She approached her old friend, "Orochi, I can take care of this myself."

Orochi shook his head, "No, Chief. It's really no problem; we have nothing else to do, anyway."

"Well that's a blatant lie," commented Sheena, brushing a strand of hair out of her face, "And don't call me 'Chief'. I'm still Sheena, you know." Orochi nodded in understanding, although he still did nothing to correct his stubbornness. "Don't make me _order_ you to leave. I don't want to abuse my title that way."

Her friend sighed in defeat, "All right. But if you need any help, don't hesitate to—"

"Don't worry, help won't be necessary," Sheena assured. Orochi nodded again, and then exited the house along with the other Mizuho villagers. Once they were all gone, Sheena could not help but roll her eyes. _"They shouldn't treat me like that. I'm still me."_ A smile spread across her face after she thought those words, "Heh. Just like Lloyd always used to say to Colette—'you're still you'..." Sheena smile faded slightly, "I'm going to miss those two. I won't get to see them as often when I'm back in Tethe'alla... and they just got back from their own journey a few years ago, too." She walked over to the pile of boxes that were already prepared for the move and could not resist having a look at the things that she had kept over the years. Amongst the bland, typical moving boxes, Sheena's eye caught sight of a large, wooden chest with some writing and pictures carved into it.

She slid her fingertips along the trunk's lid, feeling the shape of each design where the wood became rough. "Dirk made each of us one of these. I haven't looked in here for the longest time..." A rush of curiosity came over Sheena, and she unhooked the locks of the chest, gently lifting its lid. The moment that Sheena caught sight of her long lost treasures, memories flashed before her eyes. There was Corrine's bell, the memento left from her old, deceased friend; and Kuchinawa's charm, something that she had held dear even after all of the troubles that Kuchinawa had caused for her companions. Even though these memories were far from pleasant, Sheena smiled. They were all things of the past, and she did not have to worry about them anymore. She knew that Corrine was content in the afterlife; she knew that it was best for Kuchinawa to brood alone.

Then, it caught her eye. She reached into the trunk of memories and pulled out a small book; its black, leather cover was lightened by a layer of dust that had accumulated over its long years of storage. The book was decorated with designs of vines spreading from the bottom right corner of the cover, across to the top left corner. Perhaps there was once a time where these patterns held colour, but it was long faded. "My diary," Sheena whispered aloud while flipping the journal open to the first page, "Heh, I can't believe I kept this thing... What on earth did I have to write about?" Sheena's eyes scanned the first few words written in the diary, and soon she found herself unable to resist reading more than one entry as she flipped from page to page.

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_**I** have been chosen to be the Emissary of Death. I am going to be sent to the declining land of Sylvarant with one purpose: to assassinate their Chosen. But I'm going to be alone. That's why I've really started writing this diary: I need to talk to someone, even if it is just an empty book. I need someone to let all of my emotions out on, and someone to complain to when things don't work out._

_But nonetheless, this mission has to be done. Hmph... I'd prefer to just stay here and punish Tethe'alla's own Chosen, but I have to do this for the sake of my world. Of course... I'm kind of nervous. What if something goes wrong? What if I'm not strong enough, or what if their Chosen is too strong? There's so much uncertainty involved... but I can't give up before even leaving. I have to save Tethe'alla._

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_I have failed. I've only fought them twice, and already I know that I've failed. The Chosen and her companions are so strong! I managed to stop them at the Balacruf Mausoleum and engage in combat... but I lost. They were even more challenging than the first time that I fought them at Ossa Trail. It's hopeless at this point... I may as well give up now._

_...No. No, I'm wrong. What am I thinking? I'm not going to go back to Tethe'alla yet... I will continue trying with whatever chance I have. I need to train more. I **have** to get stronger than them! I can't lose my hope. This was only the first attempt; for as long as I am alive, I will continue to try and assassinate the Chosen. I won't let you down, Mizuho... Tethe'alla... Grandpa._

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_I can hardly believe the scene that is before me. I am sitting at a campfire with my enemies; sharing their sorrow and rage; understanding their feelings and hatred towards these "Desians". I'm... scared. I'm scared that I might be becoming attached to these people, and I just can't let that happen. They **are** my enemies. If I had to choose between Tethe'alla and them I would choose..._

_I am hesitating to write "Tethe'alla"! What's wrong with me! I don't get what I'm feeling! It's because of the presence of Sylvarant that Tethe'alla is in danger! I shouldn't want Colette and the others... no. **No**. The Chosen's group. I'm so torn up... I'll just have to take a page from the carefree lifestyle and live in the moment. I have to get into the mindset of someone else if I'm going to stay calm. Whatever will be, will be._

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Sheena read through the pages with interest. 'The Chosen's group', as she had worded it, had become her best friends. Since Mizuho had moved to Sylvarant, Sheena had spent much of her time with Lloyd, Colette, and all of the others (when they were actually home). Now when Sheena looked back at her diary entries, she was very content knowing that for once in her life she had decided to go along with whatever life gave her. It was a good attitude to have in certain times of doubt. Sheena could still recall what had happened after she began travelling with Sylvarant's Chosen: they first destroyed the Asgard human ranch, and then made their way to the Tower of Salvation where Colette's heart and memories were taken away. That was when they returned to Tethe'alla, and Sheena made her way back to Mizuho. The summoner skipped a few entries in her journal, and began reading again at the point where she had rejoined her friends...

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_I've been ordered to continue travelling with Sylvarant's Chosen – no... my friend, Colette – but now I've returned to find that Zelos is with them! Imagine, that stupid Chosen! I can already tell that this is not going to be a pleasant experience. Thankfully, though, Colette is back to her normal self courtesy of the Key Crest that Lloyd prepared. I can't believe how dense Zelos is! I had to explain to him why Colette made such a fuss over Lloyd finally making her the necklace he had promised. And Zelos actually had the nerve to ask if **I** would fall in love with **him** if he made me a necklace and presented it at a romantic time. He even acted upset when I said no. The idiot Chosen... But I can't let him get to me. Things are finally starting to look up. I can feel hope building up inside of me. We still have a long way to go, though. And I just feel that we're going to end up having to face Volt... I don't want to endanger my friends. I really care for them now and don't want them to suffer the same fate as Grandpa._

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_I succeeded in making the pact with Volt... but the achievement is so hollow. Corrine sacrificed his life for me when Volt attacked. I can't bring myself to even write about it... there are no emotions to express. I feel empty right now. Too empty to even write._

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_Ever since Corrine's passing, it seems like everyone is avoiding me. Why can't they see that it's only making me feel worse? I need someone to talk to... even if they end up being the one doing all of the talking, seeing as I'm really not in the mood to spill my heart out. I just need someone to be with, really..._

_Actually, not everyone has been keeping their distance. Zelos is the only one who's approached me. While everyone else was occupied with other stuff, he walked over to where I was moping alone and sat down next to me. We were both completely silent, and all that I could keep thinking was how nice to was to just have Zelos there with me. I want to kick myself for thinking like that. I am supposed to hate when he comes over to bug me, and yet that was the happiest that I had felt in days. We didn't even end up talking at all. I guess he could tell that that wasn't my intention... but he still didn't leave. It just made me feel that there was someone there by my side._

_Thank you, Zelos. I would never dare say it aloud, but you really know how to cheer me up. You're someone who knows how to listen, even when no words are exchanged. I hope that after all of the mana links have been separated, I end up on a side with someone like you._

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After that entry, Sheena observed that the dates that she had written on became more spaced out. It did not take long for Sheena to realize why it was that she was writing less: _That's why I've really started writing this diary: I need to talk to someone, even if it is just an empty book._ It must have been at that time when Sheena found an actual person to speak to. And that person was Zelos.

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_We have revived the Linkite Tree in Sylvarant to call upon Aska, and are now camping out at its site while Lloyd and Presea make a flute out of the Linkite nuts. It seems that lately we've been staying in hotels in all of Tethe'alla's big cities, so it's really nice to just set up a fire in an isolated area and relax in nature as it is meant to be. Everyone seems happy right now; it's so blissful; my joy is no exception. Lloyd and Presea are hard at work on the flute while Raine and Regal are talking, Genis fast asleep by his sister's side. And Ze_

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Sheena looked over the end of her last entry, a bemused expression on her face. "Why'd I just stop mid-word like that?" she asked herself, observing how the end of the last 'e' she wrote trailed off. She tucked a loose piece of hair behind her ear and smiled, "I guess I got distracted by something. Maybe I talk about it in my next entry... I'll just read that one and stop there." Sheena was becoming more and more interested in what she had experienced ten years ago. So many of these incidences were nothing but distant images in her memory, and by reading her diary she was able to relive those times and feel the emotions again. Even though she had said that she would only read one more, Sheena knew that she would not be able to resist flipping forward to entries from later on in the journey.

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_I never got to finish describing the camp last night because Zelos wandered over just when I was about to write about him. How typical... but I was glad. I had to shut my diary right away, of course. Knowing Zelos, he would have peered over my shoulder and read everything that I was writing. Even so, he is a good guy. Before travelling with Zelos like this, I would have never expected him to be such a great person to talk to. I had anticipated him to walk over and poke fun at me for keeping a diary, but instead he said, "You're exactly the type of person I'd expect to keep a journal." How surprising is that? It was though he really understood me. He told me that I had a lot of emotions to express, but that I couldn't bring myself to tell another soul about them... and that's why I had to write. And he's right. I can hardly believe it: Zelos understands me. He said that he's a lot like me. **That**, however, I find hard to believe. Zelos does nothing **but** tell people about his feelings, whether they care to hear them or not!_

_Zelos dropped the subject when he noticed that I didn't believe him; he instead went on rant about "how lonely" I looked, "isolated" from everyone else, and that's why he decided to come and join me. I can't help but feel that I'm letting Zelos get too close to me. It had been very cold in the centre of the mountain range where the Linkite Tree was, so I let Zelos hold me for warmth... To wake up in his arms the next morning was a pleasant feeling... He didn't try anything funny, or even mention it or gloat after he awoke. He's growing up and it's so respectable. At this point, Zelos is the only person in the world who I can really feel right with. A longing like this one... I've never experienced it..._

_But what am I thinking? I shouldn't be talking about him at a time like this... We've finally made pacts will all of the summon spirits and... it didn't end well. The Great Seed went out of control, and I had to blast it with the power of Tethe'alla's summon spirits while the others infiltrated the Iselia human ranch. That ended well for us, but numerous sites in Sylvarant were demolished. It's wretched. And now something is wrong with Colette, and we don't know what... Celebration can never last long for us, can it? I don't even want to think about what awaits us in the future... it can't be good. It just can't be._

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_The doctor managed to cure Altessa; I'm glad. And the night spent here along with Zelos, Regal and Presea has been nothing less than memorable. We were all waiting outside of Altessa's room while the doctor tended to him when Zelos approached me and asked if I would speak with him outside. I've really grown so familiar with the Chosen, and that's why I said yes. We went out to Altessa's front yard where it would just be us together. We sat down next to the remnants of the landslide and just... talked. It was so nice to have no worries in our words; there was no talk of pain, suffering or battles. Only the good things in life. Zelos was just being himself and throwing in senseless comments here and there until he brought up a conversation that we had had a while ago – I think that I wrote about it, too – when he had asked me if I would fall in love with him if he made me a necklace, like Lloyd had Colette. I found it kind of weird how he brought that up... well, until he gave me the necklace that he had actually made for me. It's really beautiful; I still can't believe that he put so much effort into making it for me._

_After Zelos clasped the chain around my neck, he took a chance and kissed me. And he wasn't shy about it, either! His kiss wasn't at all innocent! But... I kind of liked it. I didn't pull away. I mean... I actually returned his affection. The excitement that I felt was... weird. It made sense to be with him like that; I admit that I've imagined it before, but never so boldly. In my mind, it was always a sweet, gentle kiss that lasted no more than a few seconds, but that's just not Zelos' style. He wanted to get as much as he could out of that one kiss, I suppose. And even though it was passionate, it was also pretty innocent. Before he pressed his lips against mine, he just gazed into my eyes for a moment. I had never noticed how bright and sincere his eyes were... I was always distracted by that cocky smirk that he always had on. And then it came: the kiss. My body's quivering in delight just remembering it... How cheesy. I can't believe myself – falling victim to Zelos' charm... that side of his charm that only I've really had the liberty of seeing. His personality; **that** is his charm. That caring man who understands how to cheer a person up, when to keep their distance, and... apparently how to get his tongue into my mouth. Pervert—that stupid, lovable pervert. The way he held me close, made me forget about everything in the world except for him. I want to love him for it._

_I got so lost in Zelos' actions that I didn't notice when Presea came outside and saw us together. Surprisingly, Zelos pulled away when he noticed our friend watching. I would have thought that he'd just carry on to keep his reputation as a womanizer, but he didn't. We returned inside after that._

_Everyone else is sleeping now, but I just can't bring myself to doze off. There's too much on my mind. I'm a little nervous to grow intimate with Zelos... I've spent my entire life building this icy barrier around myself, keeping anyone from getting too close, and now Zelos is melting that barrier with his warming touch. I can still feel the heat on my skin where he broke through that frozen wall. I know that it's a good thing, but I'm hesitant. It's too big a change... What if something went wrong?_

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"I remember that kiss..." Sheena whispered to herself. Her memories of that night had been long forgotten, and by reading her own diary, Sheena now recalled everything that had happened. She placed her journal aside for a moment and rummaged through the box again, searching for something. She quickly found what she was wanted, and pulled it out: the necklace that Zelos had made for her. It was rather plain in appearance – especially by Zelos' extravagant standards. The necklace was made up of two chains; the top was covered in beads of different shades of purple, and the bottom was simply a silver chain with a matching heart pendant. Sheena held the jewellery in front of her face and watched as it swayed slightly in her grasp; that was when she noticed her own addition to the pendant: while one side of the heart was perfect, the other had a crack carved along the centre. "I did that," she recalled aloud, "But why? I barely remember..."

Sheena rested the necklace on her lap, and then picked up her diary again and began reading the next entry.

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_I hate him! Is this what I get for putting my trust in someone else! I know that you can never trust someone entirely; everyone has their own minds and for all I know, everyone in the world could be a fake, never speaking a word of truth to anyone, but... I thought that I could believe him! I thought that of all the people in the world, he would be the last one to lie to me, but that's all that he's been doing! It doesn't matter that he apologized, it doesn't matter that he was helping us in the end, because the bottom line is that he was working for both Cruxis and the Renegades; what's to say that he isn't just pretending to be on our side now? I can never trust him again... I can't. I hate him._

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Strong words, eh? In the next chapter, we shall see what Sheena feels about what she had written in her diary. And what is she going to do about it? Please review with your feedback!


	2. Chapter II

Time to post the second chapter! Heh, heh... I know you're all just soooo excited to see it up! I just read over this chapter and fixed some things up, so hopefully it's ended up being pretty decent. There's one more chapter after this one, so keep your eyes out for it!

Disclaimer: I still don't own Tales of Symphonia nor its characters, although Rhea is the product of my own mind.

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Everything was coming back to her now; these were memories that Sheena must have suppressed soon after uniting the worlds. "Zelos is the only person from our journey whom I have not spoken to since leaving Tethe'alla... I guess that's because I secretly hated him..." There was a knock at the door that made Sheena jump in surprise, but when she looked up and her old friend Lloyd standing at the doorway she forced herself to calm down. "Ah, Lloyd. Come in."

"Hey, Sheena," he greeted as he stepped into the small home, "I just wanted to say goodbye before you left for Tethe'alla. Colette wanted to say 'bye, too, but she had a lot of stuff to do so she made her personal lackey carry on the message." Sheena laughed softly at Lloyd for being Colette's messenger. He may have been a strong warrior, but when it came down to it, Colette could manipulate him. "What are you up to? It seems like almost everything's ready for the big move."

Realizing that she still had her old diary in her hands, Sheena quickly closed it, "Just looking at some stuff from the 'journey of regeneration'," she replied.

"Oh, wow," Lloyd took a seat down next to her, "That was so long ago."

The Chief of Mizuho nodded, "Yeah. I'm only now realizing how much I'd forgotten about it." She got up to return her journal to its resting place, which caused the necklace that Zelos had made for her to fall to the ground. Sheena hastily snatched it up from the ground; now that she remembered what had happened between her and Zelos, she did not want anyone else to know about it.

"What was that?" Lloyd asked.

"Wh... what was what?" Sheena questioned back, casually dropping her diary and the necklace into the chest.

The swordsman tilted his head slightly, "The thing that you just put into the trunk that Dad made you. Not the book; the other thing."

"Oh, that? That's... just a charm that I had worn during the journey," Sheena replied, hurriedly thinking of a lie to hide the evidence of her relationship with Zelos. Lloyd seemed satisfied with this response, and Sheena was thankful; even after ten years, Lloyd could still be rather naïve at times. Sheena returned to her spot next to her friend and asked undecidedly, "Lloyd... do you remember how I treated Zelos... after his betrayal?"

Lloyd clearly could not tell what brought on this question, but he answered anyway, "Considering how near to Zelos you had been beforehand, you really closed up. It was weird, now that I think about it..."

Sheena lifted her hand up to her mouth and nervously chewed the nail of her index finger as she stared uneasily at the floor, "Damn. I was hoping that you wouldn't say something like that."

"Why?" Lloyd inquired, still not realizing that Sheena felt guilty for how she had acted, "You had every right to be ticked off after he turned his back on us like that."

"No, Lloyd," his friend propped her elbows on her knees and buried her face in her hands, "It _wasn't_ right of me. For ten years, I've lived without regret for my actions towards Zelos, but now... I'm just not so sure. It was so harsh of me to have shunned him the way that I did! Worse yet... the way that I treated him was probably worse than the way that humans had treated half-elves..."

"Sheena, that's just not true," Lloyd persisted, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder, "You may have become detached from Zelos, but he still knew that you cared for him. You can't hide something like that, no matter how hard you try."

Sheena sighed, "I can't just change the fact that I feel terrible, though... How am I supposed to make it better?"

A light smile appeared on Lloyd's face as he thought of what seemed an obvious answer to him. "Man, and to think that we all used to call _Zelos_ dense!" Lloyd exclaimed. Sheena could simply stare at him vacantly, unsure of what he meant by that statement. "Confront him, Sheena. I know that it's been a long time, but you can't live with this remorse forever. Just show up in Tethe'alla and talk to him!"

"You're so... spontaneous."

"And you're not?" Lloyd taunted, "Deciding to move an entire village just like that! I'd say you're even more impulsive than me!" The swordsman got to his feet, a satisfied grin on his face. "I'd better get on my way," he announced, "I promised Colette that I'd be home before sundown, and I have to make another stop on the way back. Don't forget to write to us, okay?"

With that, Lloyd began heading for the door, but before he could leave Sheena jumped up to her feet, "Wait!" Lloyd turned his head around to face her, still wearing that proud smile. "Lloyd... how much has he changed?" she asked feebly. Without so much as a word, Lloyd reached into his pocket, pulled out a folded piece of paper and tossed it to Sheena. He was then on his way again. Sheena swiftly caught the paper and unfolded it, finding that it was a letter to Lloyd, from Zelos. "Maybe Lloyd isn't that clueless after all..." Sheena said to herself. She then focussed her thoughts on the letter in-hand:

_Hey, Bud!_

_How have things been going? You and Colette have any kids yet? Hehehehe... Seriously, though, is everything all right? I haven't heard from you in a while. I'm actually at the Southeast Abbey right now (if you can call it that) taking care of my niece for Seles; my sister has come down with a pretty bad illness, but I'm sure she'll be fine. She's just as tough as ever, y'know? Her daughter's the same way, too... it's tough dealing with both of them at the same time. "Zelos, I don't need to eat, I need to sleep!" "Uncle Zelos, can you play with me, pleeeaaase?" "I can deal without food! I don't care how pale I am, okay!" "Zelos! Zelos! Pay attention to meee!" Bah... such bothersome females... I wouldn't change any of this, though. It's enjoyable to get out of the city and just spend time here with them; they're all that I really have left in this world. Sucks when I really consider it, but this is what life has handed me, so I'll deal. Well, anyway... you'd better write back to me this time, Lloyd! I felt so unloved when you ignored my last letter!_

_Zelos_

Sheena could not help but smile slightly as she read the letter, "He hasn't really changed that much, has he?" she asked no one at all, "He's mended things with his sister now... that's good. I always thought that they'd both be too stubborn to admit that they cared about each other. Even if I was never fond of Seles..." She walked over to Dirk's custom-made trunk and opened it once again. Sheena added the letter to her collection of memories, and pulled out the necklace once again. She stared at the piece of jewellery in her hand for a moment, and then secured it around her neck, the unscratched side of the heart facing outward. She swiftly tucked it into her top and out of sight. "I guess I'm coming to see you, Zelos."

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At the Southeast Abbey, Zelos was sitting at the end of the dock, his legs dangling over the edge yet not reaching the water. He sighed, running his fingers through his hair; it was not as long as it had once been, but still lengthier than the hair of most men in Tethe'alla, and just as well kept as ever. There was also a light stubble on his face, giving him a sense of masculinity that he had lacked years ago. "Uncle Zelos, you're so **boring**!" a high-pitched, enthusiastic voice exclaimed. A sudden weight was forced onto Zelos as a young girl jumped onto the former Chosen's back. Had she been any larger than she was, Zelos would have fallen forward into the sea.

"Be careful, Rhea!" he warned, moving the girl off of him and getting to his feet, "You're going to end up hurting yourself one of these days... as opposed to me, who you hurt _every_ day." Zelos' niece giggled at his pain. "Bah, women! You're all the same," he teased, which made Rhea laugh even more, not that she even understood what he meant. "C'mon!" he swiftly picked her up in his arms, "Let's not mope around here, then! There must be something fun to do around here!" His niece squealed excitedly as he carried off, but he suddenly stopped when he caught sight of a familiar woman standing near the abbey entrance.

"Uncle Zelos!" Rhea shouted to get his attention.

"Huh? Oh, ah..." Zelos set down his niece, "Listen, you go and have fun by bugging Mommy; I have to talk to someone, okay?" The girl agreed without any questions and ran off to search for her mother for amusement. Zelos cautiously approached the woman. She looked familiar, and yet so different from anyone that he had ever known. Her hair was a deep violet, and was left to fall down past her shoulders and along her back. She wore clothes different from anyone in the large cities; they looked like the traditional clothes of Mizuho women that he had seen many years back. Once Zelos was close enough, he stared at the woman's eyes and knew right then who it was. He was sceptical when he observed her style of clothing and overall appearance, but a person's eyes never change. They still held that mixture of bashfulness and curiosity that he had seen every time that he looked at her. Even though he was positive of whom it was, he still had to ask, "Sheena, is that you?"

"Yep... it's me," Sheena responded warily. It was very awkward for her to be speaking with Zelos after all the time that had passed. She had expected him be angered – as he should have been – but he was not. The former Chosen threw his arms around Sheena and pulled her into a tight, friendly hug. Sheena turned her head slightly so that she could look at Zelos, her eyes widened slightly in disbelief, "Z-Zelos?"

"I never expected to see you again." His voice was muffled as his face was buried into Sheena's shoulder.

"_I_ never expected you to be _happy_ to see me!"

Zelos tightened his hold around Sheena, lifted his head to look at her, "Why wouldn't I be?"

The summoner's face turned red and she glanced off in another direction, "Ah... no reason..."

"If you say so." Zelos released Sheena from his embrace, "Come on; let's go and talk inside the abbey. It's getting kind of chilly out here." Sheena nodded and headed towards the small building. _"She definitely didn't come here to just say 'hi',"_ Zelos mused, watching her for a moment before following, _"Even after all of this time, I can still tell when something's on her mind. She's the worst at hiding it."_

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Sheena observed the interior of the abbey in disbelief. Since the last time that she had been there, it had changed so much; for one, it was much larger. The right corridor that used to lead to nowhere was now longer and had two doors, each granting entry to a bedroom. Also, the area that was once a small cathedral had been transformed into what was both a kitchen and living room. "When did all of this happen?" Sheena asked at last.

"Oh, yeah. You haven't been here in a long time," Zelos recalled, "Well, I guess this place isn't so much an abbey anymore, is it? It's a home." He walked down the hallway as Sheena followed, "After the worlds were united, Seles didn't have to stay confined to the abbey, and she came to live with me in Meltokio. Things were all well and good for quite a few years, but it just wasn't the same for her. I guess she had become attached to the dingy abbey and was just too stubborn to admit it." Zelos opened one of the doors and motioned for Sheena to enter. She did so, and Zelos followed her in as he continued, "But she did eventually decide to come back here. It was made larger at that time with the additions of Rhea's bedroom and the guestroom, which we're in right now. It's my room for the time being."

Sheena sat down on the bed that was pushed against the back wall. She let her eyes wander, making a point to avoid looking at Zelos. It was strange to just keep up casual conversation with him. "Rhea... is that Seles' daughter?"

Zelos scratched the back of his head sheepishly, "Riiight, you don't know about that, either. Rhea is just... something that happened while Seles was in Meltokio. I'm glad to have her, though; both her and Seles." The former Chosen joined Sheena in sitting on the bed. It did not take a lot for Zelos to notice Sheena's uneasiness as she nervously rubbed her right arm just to have something t do. "How'd you know that I was here, anyway?" Zelos asked, changing the subject as if he were previously not talking at all.

"Lloyd gave me the letter that you had recently sent him," Sheena replied, looking out of the room's sole window to continue avoiding eye contact with Zelos, "Has... Lloyd told you anything about me?"

"Hmm..." Zelos seemed to be considering the question deeply, even though it was a very simple thing to answer, "Maybe... but perhaps you should refresh my memory." Sheena turned her head towards Zelos, finally facing him, and stared at him inquisitively. "Come on. Tell me about everything that has happened to you."

This is what he had always done back during the journey of uniting the worlds; he was urging her to talk. He _wanted_ to listen, knowing that _she_ wanted to speak. Sheena nodded, and then began recounting all of the interesting and not-so-interesting events from the past ten years. It was as though they had gone back in time; back to when they had been so close that they could tell the other anything without a worry of how they would react. Zelos was hanging onto his old friend's every word, even though Lloyd _had_ told him much about Sheena's life. To him, it was just enjoyable to hear it narrated in the summoner's voice. He had missed her, and now she was realizing how much she had missed him.

After quite a lot of time had passed, Sheena felt a spell of weariness suddenly come over her. She stopped talking and yawned, casually glancing out the window to find that the sun had set quiet a time ago, and it was now pitch black. "Oh no!" Mizuho's chief exclaimed, quickly jumping to her feet and continuing to look outside in disbelief, "It's gotten so late! I should be back at the village by now!"

Zelos shook off his own fatigue and noticed that night had fallen, as well. "Ah... but you can't go back in the dead of night. It would be far too dangerous, even on a Rheaird," he stated in a levelheaded manner.

"And what do you expect me to do?" Sheena snapped, causing Zelos to move back, surprised. He was only thinking of what would be the wisest decision. "Do you want me to leave my villagers unaware of where their chief is? And just after Grandpa's death? They'd be completely paranoid!" Sheena frantically searched her mind for any ideas that could get her home safely, but found none. Zelos watched her as she had an anxiety attack, and it was growing to agitate him.

"Will you calm down and listen for a second?" he spoke up in a stern voice, "You must have told at least one person in the village that you had gone to see a friend or something, right? As long as someone knows that, then they'll all realize that you're safe! So stop freaking out!"

Coming to her senses, Sheena sighed and lowered her head in defeat, "I guess you're right... Sorry for blowing up on you like that..." She sat down on the bed again, "Damn, what am I going to do now?"

Zelos stated the obvious answer, "I guess you're stuck here for the night." Sheena lifted her head to meet Zelos' gaze. A part of her felt at peace with Zelos' presence, and embraced the idea of staying with him, but that part of her mind could not be accepted. When she looked at her old friend, she knew that he had every intention of trying to revive what had been killed between them at the time of his betrayal. Her heart began to pound furiously, almost struggling to escape her body and scream out 'no!' for itself. Casually, Zelos let his arm encircle Sheena, his hand firmly on the back of her neck, ready to pull her forward to meet him in a kiss. Sheena did not move; she did not object, she did not consent. She simply sat there, praying that whatever she would let happen would be for the best. It was by no means love that had her feeling so sceptical. Throughout the years, even she had had several men that she was involved with, although the love for them had faded. This love may have lasted for over ten years.

"What was all the yelling?" Zelos and Sheena turned their heads towards the room's doorway and saw Rhea standing there, appearing half-asleep since the feuding friends had just woken her up.

The former Chosen swiftly rose from his spot on the bed, releasing Sheena, and walked over to his niece, "I'm sorry, Rhea," Zelos apologized, "We just have a tendency of making our points loudly..." The girl nodded with a yawn, too tired to realize that she had no idea who 'we' was and that there was a mysterious woman in her uncle's room. "Just go back to sleep; we'll be quiet." Rhea nodded again and turned to return to her room when Zelos stopped her, "Ah, wait!" he glanced back towards Sheena, whom was off in her own world of questions without answers. He knew that what he was imposing on her was wrong. "Why don't you go and sleep in your mom's room tonight?"

Sheena abruptly faded into reality and understood that Zelos had wanted Rhea to move so that she would have a place to sleep. She was not comfortable with making the child leave her room, even if she was also uncomfortable with sharing a room with Zelos. "No, it's okay. You can keep your room. I... I can just stay here with Zelos, it's fine," the summoner blurted out, ignoring the constant objections that her heart was still giving her. She warily glanced towards Zelos, waiting to see if he consented.

The swordsman stared at her sceptically, "Are you sure about that?"

"Yeah, I'm sure," Sheena replied, unwilling to go back on her statement now. In fact, Zelos asking if she was sure gave Sheena reassurance: he had changed a lot. The old Zelos would have grinned and made a sick comment. He was mature, and not about to force Sheena into any awkward situations. She returned her gaze to Zelos' niece, "Go back to sleep." Rhea was finally able to leave the room without any more disruptions, though still too exhausted to even question Sheena's presence.

"That was a bold statement... coming from you, I mean," Zelos commented after his niece was gone.

The face of Mizuho's chief was slightly red as she spoke, "Yeah, well... it's no big deal, really... No different than that time that I slept in your arms near the Linkite tree," she said, looking downwards to avoid looking at Zelos once again.

Her old companion walked over to the bed and sat down next to Sheena, throwing his arm around her shoulders, "My, my... even at twenty-nine years old you're modest."

"It's a good quality to have, though," Sheena persisted.

"Maybe back when you were nineteen, but not now." Sheena looked at Zelos with a confused expression; what did he mean? "You can't spend your entire life with one routine; one outlook. Go out and explore, Sheena. I'm sure that that's what your grandfather would have wanted. He was a really free spirit even though he had a village to look after."

"What do you care, anyway?"

Zelos rested his head on Sheena's shoulder, moving his arm so that it surrounded her torso, "Everyone deserves to live their life the way they want to, even if they have responsibilities. _Especially_ people who have been through as many hardships as you, and the rest of our buddies from our journey back in the day." Sheena shifted away awkwardly, forcing Zelos to sit upright again. "Stop acting like you're satisfied with the way things run in Mizuho."

"I'm not acting." She crossed her arms in front of her chest, again avoiding eye contact with the former Chosen. Zelos stared at his past companion desolately; she had closed up. In that moment, it felt as though there was no way for things to return to the way that they had once been. It was hopeless. Zelos moved to the opposite end of the room, sitting down on the floor to escape Sheena. "...Zelos?"

"Forget it. Just go to sleep, okay?"

Sheena's brow furrowed – he was treating her exactly as he treated his niece! Was there something that she was missing? Sheena seethed within her mind as she lied down on the bed, pulling the covers over herself. Her head sank into the pillow, _"What did I do?"_ Sheena rolled onto her side, trying to clear her head of all thoughts to no avail. _"God, we're acting like we did ten years ago..."_ She continued squirm unnervingly in an attempt to force herself to sleep. She closed her eyes, yet beyond the darkness she could still see Zelos. Just knowing that he was in the room made her feel uneasy. She could hear the sound of her heart pounding; a continuous reminder that she was anxious—anxious that Zelos was there, and anxious because she had yet to spill her suppressed apology. _"Ten years."_ That was all that the voice of Sheena's mind kept repeating. _"It's been ten years_. _He seems to have forgiven me for the way that I had treated him, so why should I bring it up? For all I know the topic could just piss him off."_ The rhythm of her heart seemed to grow unstable as these thoughts consumed her. Sheena brought herself up to a sitting position and glanced across the room towards the former Chosen of Tethe'alla.

Again, Sheena's heartbeat was stressed. "Damnit," she growled softly, placing her hand over her chest where her heart was. _"It's him,"_ Mizuho's chief observed, _"Whenever I look at him, get close to him, think of him, picture him in my mind... I... remember him for who he was."_ A sudden desire rushed over Sheena; she wanted to have her diary in her hands, to write down everything that she felt, to share it with something, instead of the someone whom in the past she could rely on. She sighed, resting her back on the bed's backboard while continuing to gaze at the swordsman from her past. He was asleep, that was certain. Zelos had one knee pulled up to his chest, his head resting on it, and his other leg was stretched along the floor. His red hair veiled most of his face, but Sheena could see that his eyes were closed. From her resting place, she could also hear him breathe. He inhaled deeply, silently, and then would let all of his gathered air out in an audible sigh.

As she observed Zelos sleep, Sheena spoke silently to him: "When I look at you, I remember. I remember how much of an idiot you were – not for those lousy pickup lines that you always used to recite, but for the betrayal that cost us any existing feelings..." The summoner turned her head away as though trying to hide the sadness in her eyes from Zelos, who was sound asleep. "I remember how I hated you for what you did. Yet even stronger than that hatred, I remember how I believed that I may have loved you. And I wasn't just giving into that charm you expressed to every woman in the world; I was giving into _you_." Sheena had to force herself to look at Zelos again, "...I've never had emotions so strong since then. No man has ever been able to comfort me like you did; no man has ever listened to me like you did; no man has ever made me love him like you did..." Sheena slowly slipped under the bedding again, whispering, "...You're all that I've ever had."

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Oh, the emotions! What on Earth is going to happen next? ...Okay, I'm just being overly dramatic. Thank you very much for the reviews, everyone! They are very much appreciated. I'm not going to be responding to them, though, because... well... I'm just lazy. (And just to answer one question: yes, the journey that Lloyd and Colette had gone on _was_ the Exsphere quest.)

Fare thee well, my friends!...until the next chapter!


	3. Chapter III

Aha! I've finally gathered my ideas and set a goal to finish this fic. (No, I never forgot about it—I just got lazy.) I won't keep you waiting any longer: here is the final chapter of _My Living Diary_!

Disclaimer: I still don't own Tales of Symphonia nor its characters, although Rhea is the product of my own mind.

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Wearily, Sheena opened her eyes. Her mind was completely blank and she did not even register where she was as she reluctantly rose out of bed. Finally, she noted that this was not her home. A fleeting alertness pulsed through her body as she observed the unfamiliar surroundings... and then it all came back to her. She was at the abbey – Seles' home. Now she _truly_ wanted to stay in bed. Glimpsing across the room, she noticed that Zelos had already gotten up.

Indistinct voices could be heard through the closed bedroom door, and Sheena could not make out what was being discussed. She forced herself to rise from the bed and curiously opened the door a smidgen to peek into the hallway. Further down – where the chapel area used to be – she saw Zelos and a woman whom she almost immediately recognized as Seles. It was not because of the woman's appearance that she could identify her; Seles, too, had changed a lot. Even though she was apparently still rather sickly, she did not look it: her skin had more colour, and even her hair that used to be a pale red was now nearly as bright as Zelos'. Sheena knew that it was Seles because of her attitude.

"You brought a woman here, Zelos! Honestly! Do you ever grow up!" Seles hollered, challenging her older brother.

Zelos did not seem at all fazed by Seles' anger; in fact, he appeared amused. "Yeah, yeah," he shrugged casually, a smirk on his face, "I'm just _such_ a terrible person for letting an old friend spend the night here. We weren't even doing anything." Seles huffed, folding her arms in front of her chest and looking in the direction opposite of Zelos. The former Chosen's smirk widened, "What? I silenced you already?" he taunted, "Too easy. Now why don't you be a good mother and spend some time playing with Rhea? I mean, she's not _my_ illegitimate love child."

Seles glared at her big brother before making her way outside, muttering, "Oh, as if _you_ don't have any illegitimate love children..."

Zelos chuckled silently at his sister's comeback as the front door closed. Once Zelos was alone, Sheena finally felt it safe to exit the room that she had stayed in. The swordsman looked over to her, "Oh, hey. Good morning."

"Morning," Sheena returned the greeting, offering a smile. Zelos' mood was much more carefree than it had been the night before, and Sheena was grateful for it. It was always comforting when Zelos was in high spirits; when he was in low spirits, it was the most hopeless feeling that one could have. "I didn't cause any problems with Seles, did I?"

With a casual wave of his hand, Zelos replied, "Nah. She was probably just nervous, thinking that I'd become a ladies' man again. I guess she didn't remember you as that woman that she stalked and accused of being a witch." Sheena nodded in understanding, a light laugh escaping her throat. "So... I imagine that you're heading back to your village soon, huh?" Zelos asked.

Sheena's entire body froze—her village! It had completely slipped her mind that she had to return to her village! "Oh, crap! I can't believe that I let myself forget about the move!" Zelos stared pryingly at the summoner, realizing that if she had forgotten something as important as Mizuho, there must have been something even more significant occupying her thoughts. Fidgeting awkwardly under Zelos' gaze, Sheena managed to ask, "Zelos, would you mind talking for a bit before I go?"

"It'd be my pleasure!" the ex-Chosen responded cheerfully, "C'mon, let's go out back." Zelos led Sheena through a doorway located at the far end of the old abbey, and into the 'backyard'.

Outside, the abbey still held the image that it had during Sheena's past visits. The back of the house was faded; bricks were chipped away at and they were covered in vines that climbed up the walls like snakes. There were crates scattered about the grass—_"Leftovers from the old supplies," _Sheena guessed, recalling how the clutter that had been around the abbey when they had visited it during the journey of regeneration. Zelos took a seat on one of the larger boxes, and patted the spot next to him. Sheena sat down where he motioned, and for a moment they did not say anything. From the front of the house, they could hear laughter and playful cries coming from Seles and Rhea as they spent time together. Sheena saw that Zelos could not keep the smile on his face hidden as he heard their delight. "You have a good life, don't you?" Sheena piped up.

"I suppose you could call it that," Zelos agreed, "I'm happy – that's for sure. I love that Seles and I are really brother and sister now. Hell, we may have wasted a good portion of our lives as enemies, but as long as it ended up well..."

"I'm glad that it did. It was incredibly obvious that you two cared about each other, you know," Sheena teased. Zelos jokingly pouted, making Sheena laugh as she recalled his old personality. "Zelos..." the chief of Mizuho's tone suddenly grew serious as she mentally prepared herself for her apology.

Zelos turned his head to face her, his smile representing his affirmation, "Ready to finally tell me why you came all this way to see me?"

Sheena backed up slightly in surprise. "Wh-what gave you the idea that there was something that I needed to say?" she asked, casually crossing one leg over the other and planting the palms of her hands on the crate on either side of her. Her eyes were locked with Zelos', not shying away for a moment.

Sulking good-naturedly, Zelos lowered himself so that he lay on the crates, his hands folded behind his head to provide a form of cushioning. He looked up at Sheena, one eyebrow raised slightly in questioning. "Oh, gee, just a hunch," he responded sarcastically, "Y'know, a mixture of the spontaneously showing up after ten years, the travelling across the world for a petty visit, and... the _obviousness_. Face it," a smirk played on his lips, "You're the worst creator of excuses that I've ever seen."

Sheena's fingers unconsciously strummed on the wooden box that she sat on. "Okay, so I do have a reason," she admitted, her eyes narrowing into a glare, "But I'd appreciate it if you at least have the formality to have proper posture while I speak." Zelos groaned, sitting upright once again. He gave a half-nod to let her know that he was paying complete attention. "Listen, I already have an idea of what kind of response I'm going to get, but I'm going to get it off of my chest anyway." At least, Sheena _hoped_ that she knew how he would react. Zelos moved closer to Sheena slightly, his gaze never wavering from hers. "Zelos, towards the end of the journey of reunification, you betrayed us and..." she paused, finding it to be so difficult not to turn away, "...and after that, I was... well, a bitch, to put it bluntly. I feel really terrible for it and just wanted to apologize. I know it's late, but..."

"That hurt me, you know," Zelos said suddenly. Sheena unsurely shifted further away; eyes cast downward and a reserved frown on her face. This was not the response that she was hoping for. "Still, you're bringing this up _now_, and it's a thing of the past!" the ex-Chosen said. Sheena lifted her head upward, her eyes widened in disbelief. He did not care. That was all that she had been anticipating, and he had just granted it to her. "You've matured a lot, Sheena. I can't believe that you'd let yourself be freaked out by something like that for this entire time."

"You've grown up, too, Zelos," Sheena smiled, "And I'm pretty disappointed in myself for getting so... _whatever_ about this whole thing. It's ridiculous, but... Hell, I think I made _myself_ miss you by reading that old diary—it reminded me that you were the only person that I could ever really talk to. I mean... I just bottle everything up now... I miss having you around."

Zelos let her words sink as the summoner impatiently watched him. It had been years since she was able to be so open with anyone; even in a short day, she had been much closer to Zelos than anyone else. Would he understand? She desired for him to assure her that he was still there, willing to be that discreetly considerate person that he always was. "Heeey... I remember that diary!" Zelos exclaimed at last, causing Sheena to sigh in what was a mixture of frustration and amusement. "So, you wrote about me, eh?" he had a teasing tone in his voice.

"Damnit, have you even changed at all?" Sheena snapped. Her rage was soothed, however, as Zelos unexpectedly gripped her in the same way that he had the previous night, before Rhea's interruption. Sheena's body was frozen as she stared at the former Chosen.

Zelos brought his hand up to the back of Sheena's head and tangled his fingers into her hair. "You're not married to Orochi or anything, are you?" he asked in a mumble.

"No," she responded, desperately trying to prevent her lips from curving into a smile. Zelos gave a thoughtful 'hmm' as stared at Sheena even more intently. Sheena returned his intent stare with a mock-threatening glare. "You're not..." her phrase was never completed as Zelos jerked her head forward so that their lips lightly touched, barely even skimming over each other. _"As bold as ever,"_ Sheena thought. After that, Zelos pulled slightly away and watched her for a moment, awaiting an objection. None came. He tilted his head slightly so that their lips meshed together better as he kissed her again. This time, instead of remaining dazed, Sheena returned his affection. _"Just this once,"_ she convinced herself, moving even closer to the former Chosen until she was practically in his lap. She could feel Zelos' satisfied smile against her lips, and it made her want to grin, too. Zelos secured his arms around Sheena's waist and pulled her closer to him, their bodies melding together. As he pushed his chest against hers, Sheena could feel a cold against the area of her collarbone. She took no notice to it at first, but soon the iciness became difficult to ignore; it was the silver of the necklace that she had tucked away.

Instinctively, Sheena brought her hand up to Zelos' shoulder and closed her fingers tightly around it. The pain that shot through Zelos' arm as a result was enough of a hint that he should draw back. Aside from moving away, Zelos did not seem at all deterred by the summoner's sudden change of mood. She had always been one to avoid closeness, so in Zelos' mind it was only a matter of time before that trait of Sheena's resurfaced. "Is there a reason for this retreat, or are you just being yourself?"

"I don't even _understand_ myself," Sheena exhaled in dismay, conspicuously moving herself away from Zelos. She reached into her wrap top and felt for the necklace that she was wearing. When she managed to clutch its chain, she pulled it out and held it in front of her as best she could. The heart pendant slowly rotated, and once Sheena saw that the heart's untouched side was facing her she kept it that way so that she was certain that Zelos could see the intentionally cracked side. "I don't understand why I felt so compelled to apologize to you for being so harsh, when really you fuelled the hatred by your selfish acts. You never even realized that not only did you set our group up for a horrible betrayal, but you set me up for a broken heart. It's like you deliberately—"

"Sheena..."

"—made me the happiest that I—"

"Sheena."

"—had been in a long time, only to ruin it—"

"Sheena!"

"—the next day!" Mizuho's chief took in a breath and then let it out in a sigh, "Why the hell do you keep saying my name?"

All of the tenseness that had been gathering in Zelos' posture as Sheena ranted seemed to visibly relax once she ceased speaking. He locked eyes with the summoner, daring her to stare back for as long as he didn't so much as waver; and as far as Sheena could tell, Zelos' gaze was unblinking. She bit her lower lip, lowering her gaze to avoid looking at Zelos. He was so intimidating when his eyes were so focussed on hers. She could not stand to look at them. "Sheena," Zelos spoke her name for the fourth time, his voice much more quiet than it had previously been. Something about his softened tone managed to reassure Sheena, and so she gathered her courage and returned his stare as he spoke. "How many _years_ ago was that?"

Sheena could feel a warmth spreading from her nose out across her cheeks; _"My face must be as red as his hair,"_ she mused. He was making her blush like he had in the past, but this time he was doing it without the perverted comments. He was doing it by pointing out how impractical it was to hold a grudge over the span of ten years. It was as ridiculous as the women who refuse to speak to girls from their high school because they once said a snide remark behind everyone's backs. Time passes, people grow and mature—yet why do feelings of resentment rarely dissolve? "Ten," Sheena responded at last, "An entire _decade_ ago." As soon as she uttered the word 'decade', she could feel laughs tickling at her throat. "And—" the laughs in her throat began to escape in snickers, "And I am still trying to tell myself that I'm angry with you? How pathetic!"

Zelos watched as the summoner broke into laughter that was directed at herself. He watched as she covered her mouth to suppress the snorts that resulted from overdoing the laughter, and he wondered why in the united worlds this was so hilarious to her. No words were exchanged until Sheena's outburst subdued, which prompted Zelos to remark, "_Very_ pathetic."

"Oh, quiet!" Sheena nudged Zelos in the shoulder using the base of her palm with playful intention.

"Ohhh," Zelos whined in the childish tone of his twenties, "I thought you got past that hurting-Zelos phase."

The ninja narrowed her eyes and leaned closer to him, a smirk tugging at the corner of her lips. "That isn't a phase," she stated proudly, poking the former Chosen in the sternum, "It's the philosophy that I live my life by. It's been painful not to follow my practice for the past ten years."

"Well, it's been pleasantly _un_painful for me," Zelos responded, which simply urged Sheena's grin to widen in pride. The summoner shifted closer to her old friend and propped her back against his left shoulder. She brought both of her legs onto the crate and bent her knees so that her feet could rest comfortably on the surface. They were enveloped in silence once more, but it brought serenity. Sheena closed her eyes and breathed out silently, contentedly. Everything that had needed to be said had been said, and it had also been dismissed. Zelos had never lost his ability to be comforting or to say the perfect words to make a situation tranquil; or even more so, to make Sheena tranquil. "Are you heading back to Mizuho?" Zelos asked tentatively, unsure of whether or not Sheena had actually fallen asleep while leaning on him.

"...In a minute," she answered, however it was not a literal 'in a minute'. It was more of a teenager's response when asked when they will begin studying for a test at school; 'in a minute' could easily become well over an hour.

Zelos glanced down at the woman at his side; although with the way that she was acting, she was more of a stubborn young girl than a woman. As much as he desired to savour the bliss of that moment, the former Chosen recognized that Sheena needed to be with her village on that day. _"Besides,"_ he thought to himself as he stood up, leaving Sheena without anything to lean on. The summoner teetered over as a result. _"Something tells me that it won't be another ten years before we see each other again."_

"Hey! What are you doing?" Sheena jolted back up to a proper sitting position. Zelos snickered as the ninja tried to regain her dignified composure. "Why—you—" she stammered, searching for the correct question, "Haven't you learned how to treat a lady yet!" Her voice made it sound as though she were scolding him.

Zelos casually waved his hand at her as though brushing her inquiry away. "Well, yeah. I learned that ages ago! It's just difficult for me to consider you, of all people, a _lady_."

Mizuho's chief crossed her arms over her chest and stared defiantly up at Zelos. It only took a few seconds for her to realize that as long as she were sitting and he was standing, her stare would not serve as much of a threat. And so, she stood up and attempted her intimidating gaze once more. Zelos merely raised an eyebrow at her, the corner of his mouth curving upwards to scoff her. "Fine," Sheena lowered her arms and turned away from her friend, "I'll be leaving, then." She began doing just that, making her way around the house to the front yard. Although her intention was joking when she said 'I'll be leaving, then', her words would prove to be true because it was time that she returned to her village. Zelos followed her to the front without any objection.

When they found themselves standing by the Rheaird that Sheena had piloted to the abbey, neither ninja nor noble could find words to say. With the quiet between them, attention was again directed towards Seles and Rhea. The mother and daughter were running around the front lawn, chasing one another with smiles on their faces. Seles had to stop occasionally, catching her breath and clearing her head of dizziness, but Rhea displayed the patience that a parent tends to show their child. As Zelos watched his sister and niece together, words flowed out of his throat without consciousness, "I think I may end up staying here, with them," he mused. Sheena gave him a look of approval, in complete agreement with the statement that he had just made. "Once Mizuho has settled in Tethe'alla again, will you come and visit me?"

"Of course I will," Sheena answered. Goodbyes were avoided until, practically at the same time, Sheena and Zelos threw their arms around each other in a hug; somehow 'goodbye' was not appropriate.

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_Dear Diary,_

_It's been a long time. And I think that after this entry, you may never hear from me again._

_I have a new diary. A better diary. A loving diary that listens well and can even speak back to me and give me advice. Yes, that's what he is: my living diary. _

_And I will never in a thousand years make the mistake of letting him out of my life again._

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Done, done! And thankfully I am happy with the way that I ended it. Now that I have at long last completed this three-chapter fic, I will move on to work on _Just Tell Me_ some more. Ideas are coming! You should expect lots of updates from me once summer comes. Thank you to all of my loyal readers and reviewers! (Especially those of you that were very patient with the ending of this story.) Love!


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